Centre for a Smart Future is pleased to launch ‘Looking Back, Building Forward’ A Collection of Essays on Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis and Emerging Priorities.
Sri Lanka has had multiple and overlapping crises since the constitutional coup of 2018. The Easter Sunday tragedy in 2019, COVID-19, the foreign currency shortage and economic crisis that followed have inflicted severe and lasting strains on the Sri Lankan economy and society at large. CSF researchers had been writing on the fallout of these crises since 2022, with a focus on helping audiences to better understand some of the macroeconomic causes, as well as better recognise some of the debilitating impacts on communities. Our writing was published in national newspapers, international platforms, and our own institutional website. As the country begins to experience macroeconomic stability, signs of a recovery in growth, alongside a conclusion of debt restructuring, it is timely to recall some of the issues that we had written about.
The purpose of this publication – a collection of essays of our writing since 2022 – is twofold. Firstly, to serve as a reminder of some of the key contributing aspects of the crisis, as well as the impacts faced by vulnerable communities. With a desire to quickly ‘move on’ and celebrate recovery, these aspects have been forgotten. Secondly, to serve as reference points to inform and influence a more just, inclusive, and sustainable economic recovery, which is our idea of a ‘smart future’.
This collection of essays represents more than a compilation of academic analyses; it is a testament to the collective expertise and commitment of researchers dedicated to understanding Sri Lanka’s challenges and contributing to its recovery. The diverse perspectives presented here – spanning economics, social policy, environmental sustainability, and technology – reflect the interdisciplinary nature of CSF’s work and our approach, and the multidimensional nature of Sri Lanka’s polycrisis and the solutions needed for a just recovery.
To request a hard copy of the publication for libraries and institutions, please email us at [email protected]
